Intel Core i3-8121U vs Intel Core i5-4460

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i3-8121U vs Intel Core i5-4460 tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, rendering, video editing, streaming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as AIDA64, WPrime, SuperPi, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, RealBench, MATLAB, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, 7zip, PassMark, Gears 5, Prime95, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

Borderlands 3
Apex Legends
Halo Infinite
Rainbow Six Siege
Red Dead Redemption 2
Valorant
Fallout 76
Death Stranding
Valheim
Cyberpunk 2077
DOOM: Eternal
Fortnite
Last Man Standing
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Grand Theft Auto V
Overwatch
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Watch Dogs Legion

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-4460 or Intel Core i3-8121U.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i3-8121U

51%

Core i5-4460

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-8121U

51%

Core i5-4460

51%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Metro Exodus, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Monster Hunter World, Battlefield V, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghostrunner, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.1	91.0
Valorant	102.4	103.4
Cyberpunk 2077	57.3	57.9
Apex Legends	96.2	97.2
Call of Duty Warzone	76.8	77.6
Overwatch	82.9	83.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.6	71.4
DOOM Eternal	51.2	51.7
Warzone	79.9	80.7
Assassin's Creed	86.0	86.9
Valheim	85.0	85.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-8121U

200%

Core i5-4460

34%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-8121U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-4460 as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 84W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Core i5-4460
Cinbench 15 Single-core	139	132
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	305	477
Cinbench 20 Single-core	340	325
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	598	1177
Cinbench 23 Single-core	563	714
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2184	2716

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Core i5-4460
Single-Core	1939	1877
Multi-Core	4369	4794

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Core i5-4460
Single-Core	901	881
Multi-Core	2063	2955

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-8121U	Intel Core i5-4460
Announcement date	July 07, 2018	April 01, 2014
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	Unknown	LGA1150
Core name	Cannon Lake	Haswell
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	4
Turbo Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.4 MHz
Frequency	2.2 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	2	4
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	4 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	10 nm	22 nm
Transistors count	1800 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	84 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR4/x-2400	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	4 MB	6 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-4460 is 31% better than Core i3-8121U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-4460 has 2 more core than Core i3-8121U. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-8121U is better: 9
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-4460 is better: 24
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i3-8121U and Intel Core i5-4460 before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-8121U - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i3-8121U specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-4460 specs and review.